Natural learning is all about following natural curiosity, learning by experiencing, connecting with nature and valuing a creative approach. At the centre of the natural learning ethos lies the importance of caring for yourself, for each other and for the world around us. Find the A, B and C here.


D is for Discovery
Leave out an item to be discovered to prompt natural curiosity– a map, a photograph, an old camera, a broken item that can be taken apart or fixed, a poem, a picture of a bug, a piece of sport equipment, some fabric squares… any object can spark some interest and take you into a new conversation or creation. Great items that may be unfamiliar to children (borrowed or picked up second hand) like a typewriter, pasta maker or slide projector, left out to be discovered set the creative cogs turning.


E is for Everyone
Having an audience is an important motivator so get others involved: family, friends and neighbours. Share learning you have done together, telephoning, asking others to set challenges and reporting back the next day, send a photo postcard by email or snail mail, put a poster in your window or on your gate. Taking part in events and awards – OPAL science data collections, Blue Peter badge applications, poetry competitions, National days – provide their own motivation and audience. Writing a letter to your favourite author or a postcard to a friend overseas can provide exciting replies.

F is for Flexibility
Some kind of routine is important, but with flexibility for when an unexpected turn is taken, learning goes off in a new direction, the weather changes or a plan goes pear-shaped. Times to eat, sleep, relax, walk and tidy up give structure and a daily music time to sing or listen to a song and reading time on a comfy chair punctuate the day. Timetables can help if you like coloured felt tips, but can give an unrealistic sense of how much can be achieved in one day. Let the learning provide the pace, which will be different for everyone and allows more of the important, unplanned learning to seep in.

Next time: Games, Happy, Individual
Louise has taught in classrooms of all shapes and sizes, as a primary school teacher, forest school leader and trainer, outdoor learning consultant and researcher. She writes resources and stories for outdoor and woodland learning adventures using the natural learning ethos.

One thought on “An ABC of Learning Naturally: Discovery, Everyone and Flexibility

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